A Letter to Victoire Weasley
by Anrheithwyr
Summary: "I know it might be a while before you read this letter-hell, you might never read this-but I wanted to write this to you, in case you ever end up needing some advice from your old man. Trust me, I'm not going to give you very good advice in person-I'm not terribly good at it...The first grandchild. The first step towards a new day, a new generation. A new mindset."


A Letter to Victoire Weasley:

May 2, 2000

Dear Victoire,

I know it might be a while before you read this letter-hell, you might never read this-but I wanted to write this to you, in case you ever end up needing some advice from your old man. Trust me, I'm not going to give you very good advice in person-I'm not terribly good at it. It'll be your mum, Fleur, who will help you through all those hard parts in life; she's certainly helped me through mine.

You've not even been alive for a day, Victoire. You're only a few hours old-seven hours and thirty-three minutes, according to the clock on the wall-but I feel like it's already been years since the last time I held you in my arms. Right now, you're in a different room somewhere in St. Mungo's, and my arms ache, wanting you back so I can hold you.

Years from now, I'm going to be giving you off to a man, or a woman, or whoever it is you decide to marry. I'm going to be saying good-bye to you, and it's going to be a rather _permanent _good-bye. Oh, you'll still come around to see me. You can still call me Daddy and we'll hug and make cocoa together. But you won't _just _be my daughter anymore, you'll belong to someone else, as well. And I'll miss you.

But, for now, you're still very, _very _young. (Some day, you'll stop finding me funny, as well. I'm going to milk this time for all I've got.) I've got at least another eighteen years with you, I hope, and I plan on using those years to fill you with as much love and knowledge as I possibly can. Because I've met people who've grown up without love, and I know you _won't _grow up that way.

I'm sure, at some point, you're going to ask why we named you Victoire. And, to some extent, the answer is obvious. You were born on May 2nd, the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. Your name means Victory-trust me, your mum's idea. But it goes deeper than that-you represent something, Victoire. You're the first baby since the war. No, not the first ever. But the first in our family. The first grandchild. The first step towards a new day, a new generation. A new mindset. A world without prejudice, a world where everyone can be equal.

(It's a lovely, impossible dream. And you're the first step.)

May second….._Merlin_. What have we done? It's like we've already set you on this crazy path designed only to pressure and push you. I mean, we named you _Victory_. I love your mum-and I love you already-but I think maybe this was a bit too much. We put too much of our hopes and dreams and ideals into you, without thinking. I don't think we'll be naming any future children after anyone or anything else. That's too much pressure.

Victoire…..Tori….already, you just seem so….so _right_. I dunno, I've only just met you seven hours and fifty-seven minutes ago, but already, I can tell, you're going to be something special, my little victory. My precious little baby girl. And that makes me feel so….so inadequate. Unprepared. I don't know what to do, I don't know who to ask. I mean, yeah, Dad's got Ginny-I could ask _him _about raising a little girl, but he had six kids before that, six boys.

I'm just so afraid of messing up, Tori. I hope that whenever you're reading this, you can look back and tell me I'm wrong. I hope you can call me up and say 'Daddy, you didn't mess up.' Because I am so scared of doing something wrong. I'm afraid I'm going to say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing, and then I'll lose you forever.

Forever. Such a harsh, permanent word. _My brother is dead, forever. _Fred's death has reminded me that nothing is permanent. I am going to lose you, one day, Tori. I understand that, even if I can't quite accept it, yet. But I know it's true-one day you are going to leave me, or I am going to leave you. I just hope it's not before your time, because I don't think I'd be able to handle that.

You're my baby girl, Victoire. I love you. I just hope, one day, I can say that to your face-and that you will say it back.

Love,

William Weasley (Daddy)


End file.
